Pubdate: Wed, 26 Apr 2006
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Author: Mike Howell, Staff writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/women.htm (Women)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

MAYOR GETS SECOND SUBSTANTIAL OFFER

A second man has contacted Mayor Sam Sullivan's office with an offer  
of money to establish a harm reduction program for female sex trade  
workers.

Sullivan told the Courier Monday that a man who works in the mining  
industry sent an email to him Saturday with an offer of $10,000. The  
offer comes two weeks after another unnamed person said he would  
donate $500,000.

"I've been surprised so far about the offers already so maybe there  
will be more people willing to help," Sullivan said. "I know that a  
lot of people feel strongly about this. I do too. We all feel  
powerless."

Sullivan wants the money directed to a credible group to prescribe  
drugs or substitutes to sex trade workers to help reduce the need for  
women to sell their bodies to obtain money for drugs.

The mayor's plan to prescribe drugs to addicts is nothing new. Prior  
to his run for mayor last fall, he told the Courier the federal  
government should ditch the city's heroin trials and simply start  
prescribing drugs to addicts.

Sullivan argues the crime rate would fall because-as police will  
confirm-the majority of burglaries, car thefts and bank robberies are  
committed by addicts.

Sullivan wouldn't release the names of the two potential donors. He  
has yet to reply to both men but made it clear that the money  
wouldn't be used by the mayor's office.

"I don't want anything to do with the money," he said. "I have been  
promoting my ideas and I would be very happy if a respected research  
organization took on an initiative. But I'm just going to wait until  
that kind of thing might happen."

Sullivan spoke to the Courier from Ottawa where he was scheduled to  
meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper today, when he planned to  
talk about drug addiction with Harper.

"I'm going to confirm with the prime minister his commitment to me  
that although he would not be interested in supporting or  
facilitating the use of drugs, he would also not stand in the way of  
local or provincial innovations."

Sullivan said a drug maintenance program should first be available  
for sex trade workers before other addicts could be eligible. Sex  
trade workers, he said, are the most vulnerable addicts in the city.

He said a drug maintenance program would kick in only after social  
service agencies attempted to get a sex trade worker treatment,  
counselling, housing or job training.

"I have been so disappointed that over the last number of years  
nothing has been done for these women," said Sullivan. "I've asked  
myself that for a lot a years, and here I am the mayor and I want to  
do something. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do, but I'm going  
to support anything that has good qualified research behind it and  
scientifically has a good chance of changing the situation."

Vision Vancouver Coun. Raymond Louie said Sullivan is "off base" in  
pushing for such a harm reduction model for sex trade workers. Louie  
called Sullivan's plan "dangerous" and "reckless" and would reverse  
the progress the city has made on drug addiction in the last six years.

Louie was aware Sullivan made comments to the Courier last year about  
ditching the heroin trials and prescribing drugs to addicts, but now  
that Sullivan is mayor he should be more responsible with his words,  
he said.

"It's one thing when you're saying it and you're not the mayor, and  
you're just a councillor seeking the position of mayor. I don't think  
the mayor should take his [close] election to the office of the mayor  
as a sign that people are supportive of this."

Louie said he's worried that Sullivan hasn't devised a specific plan.

"He's merely said that he wants to hand out drugs to drug addicts.  
Without him providing that clarity, he's leaving this uncertainty  
hanging over our citizens in terms of what he wants to do to our city."

Despite the criticism, Sullivan remains committed to pushing ahead  
with a plan to help sex trade workers reduce their need for drugs.  
His goal is to have the problems of crime and social disorder caused  
by drug addiction ended by the 2010 Winter Olympics.

If he chooses to run for a second term for mayor, Sullivan would  
first need to be re-elected in November 2008. But getting re-elected  
is not something he's worried about, he said.

"As I have told people, my number one priority is the city, my number  
two priority is my political career. So I'm pretty committed to this  
and I will do what I can within the limits of my office to move this  
agenda forward."
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MAP posted-by: Jackl